Stand on the lawn outside St Mary's Church on Ziyang Street and you are looking at a ruin that was once the tallest building in Jiaxing, its French-imported bell long gone and its roof torn away, with a rubble field where the surrounding neighbourhood used to be. It is an odd, quiet introduction to a city that is steadily restoring its old quarters and canal-side lanes.
Jiaxing suits travellers who are already comfortable in Zhejiang and want a slower stop between Shanghai and Hangzhou: people interested in canal towns, Republican-era architecture, Communist Party history, or simply in walking restored streets in the evening. Most of what is described here sits in or near the old walled city and around South Lake, so it can be covered on foot, by taxi or by bus.
This guide covers the sights named in the source material, ordered with the strongest first, followed by a one-day plan and answers to common questions.
Top things to do in Jiaxing
1. South Lake
South Lake, also called Nanhu Lake, lies south of the city centre and is Jiaxing's main tourist attraction. It is known as "Mandarin Duck Lake" because of its shape, and the main lake to the east connects to the smaller western South Lake. A channel of the Grand Canal runs next to its northwestern shore.
Most of the shoreline and most attractions are accessible free on foot, by taxi or by bus, but the source notes that the best way to see the main sights is by boat. Plan to combine the lake with the mid-lake island and Xiaoyingzhou Island in a single boat trip.
2. Pavilion of Mist and Rain
The Pavilion of Mist and Rain, or Yanyu Lou, stands on an artificial island in the middle of South Lake and is reachable only by boat. It was built in 1549 to replace a 10th-century original on the lake shore, and the pavilion and its gardens were improved over the following centuries as a pleasure garden used by local officials and occasionally by visiting emperors. It was last rebuilt in 1918 and is furnished largely as it was in the 19th century, with some subsidiary buildings housing exhibitions.
A traditional wooden canal boat is permanently moored at the island: a replica of the boat used for the Communist Party of China's first conference in 1921, after delegates left Shanghai. It is normally open for visits for an extra ¥20, but visitors are forbidden to board, and extra security guards the boat, during times of political or security sensitivity. The ferry ticket including the island is ¥50.
3. Yuehe Street
Yuehe Street, or Moon River Street, is a restored neighbourhood on the north side of the old city around Zhongji Road, named after canals curved like a crescent moon. It was a centre of traditional commerce and light industry, and unlike the grand residences elsewhere it features authentic shop and workshop buildings of a more common type, with tea rooms, small restaurants and sellers of Chinese cakes and baked goods.
If your itinerary does not stretch to Xitang or Wuzhen, this street gives a good taste of what those canal towns are like. It was named the first provincial night cultural and tourist concentration area in January 2022, so it is worth saving for the evening. The Museum of Zongzi Culture, dedicated to the leaf-wrapped rice balls for which Jiaxing is famous, is here.
4. Meiwan Street
Meiwan Street, or Plum Blossom Bay Street, occupies the southwest corner of the old city on the bank of the western South Lake. It has been redeveloped with restored historic buildings and new buildings in a sympathetic style, and features winding brooks, willows and small lakeside parks. It is a favourite of local fishermen and of Korean tourists.
Several historic buildings are here, including Kim Koo's Refuge, a house used by members of the Provisional Government of Korea during the Second World War; the former residence of Chu Fucheng, who arranged Kim Koo's escape from Shanghai; Xu Yi Gu Hall, a former rice merchant's premises; the former residence of Wang Huzhen; and the former residence of Zhu Shenghao, the poet and translator of Shakespeare. Qingfen Hall, a family memorial hall of the prominent Qian family, is also here and is open to the public. The former residence of Shen Junru is close by.
5. Citadel of Jiaxing
The Citadel of Jiaxing, or Zicheng, sits at the centre of the old city on Fuqian Street. Jiaxing is one of the few cities in south-east China that retains any vestige of a citadel; it was built in 231 AD and remained the fortified administrative centre until 1912, after which it served as a barracks, a school and a hospital. Much was demolished in the 20th century, and today the imposing front gate on Fuqian Street and part of the wall survive.
The Zicheng Site Park opened on 25 June 2021, with a copper ribbon, a ginkgo tree pool and lighting forming a walk through the city's history. Nearby, on Yaojia Dai, is the former residence of Shen Zengzhi, historian and poet, which pairs naturally with a visit here.
6. Xiaoyingzhou Island
Xiaoyingzhou is a small island in South Lake close to the north-east shore, with a picturesque pavilion that was once a temple to Cang Jie, the mythical figure credited with inventing Chinese characters. Like the mid-lake island, it was popular with local scholar-officials for drinking and poetry parties.
The island is connected to the shore by a bridge, and the ferry calls at a wharf at its southern end. A picturesque covered bridge stands to the north-east, crossing a channel that links South Lake with the Grand Canal. A display on the history of Chinese calligraphy sits on the lake shore close by.
7. St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church on Ziyang Street, near the centre of the old city just west of the Citadel, was built by the Carmelites over 13 years and completed in 1930, with most of its construction material and its bell imported from France. It was for a long time the tallest building in Jiaxing. During the Cultural Revolution it was attacked, its roof destroyed and its doors, windows and statuary smashed, and rooms were later built inside the ruins.
The ruins remain imposing and the interior is not open to the public. In July 2021 the government completed renovation and lighting of the outside and opened a large lawn outside the church, which is open to the public and is a good place to rest or walk. Note that the surrounding neighbourhood has been demolished in preparation for redevelopment, so the church currently sits in a large rubble field.
8. Vincent Abbey
Vincent Abbey on Guangming Street, north-east of the old city and close to Yuehe Street, was a Lazarite monastery and in its heyday one of the largest Catholic monasteries in China. It is remarkably well preserved. After 1949 it became a nursing home.
It is no longer open for visits, but you can get a good view of the cloisters from the street. The city government plans to restore the abbey and turn it into a tourist attraction, so check locally before making a special trip. Its position makes it an easy addition to a walk along Yuehe Street.
9. Wuzhen
Wuzhen is one of two townships within Jiaxing's city limits with preserved and restored houses set along small canals, evocative of the typical canal towns of the region. It is a popular tourist destination and a filming location.
Because it lies within the city limits rather than the old city itself, it works best as a half-day or full-day excursion rather than something squeezed between city-centre sights.
10. Xitang
Xitang is the second of Jiaxing's canal townships, with preserved and restored houses along small canals in the same regional style, and is likewise popular with visitors and film crews.
If you cannot reach either canal town, Yuehe Street in the old city offers a comparable taste of canal-town architecture and street life.
11. Museum of Zongzi Culture
The Museum of Zongzi Culture, in the Yuehe Street neighbourhood, is dedicated to the leaf-wrapped rice balls for which Jiaxing is famous. The city has established a Zongzi Cultural Ecological Preservation Area in its southern suburbs to protect the wider culture around the food, including the cultivation of specific glutinous rice varieties, bamboo leaf harvesting and the passing on of wrapping techniques.
Visit it as part of your time on Yuehe Street rather than as a separate trip, and pair it with the street's tea rooms and baked goods sellers.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Citadel of Jiaxing on Fuqian Street, where the front gate and surviving wall stand at the centre of the old city, then walk the short distance to Yaojia Dai for the former residence of Shen Zengzhi. Continue to St Mary's Church on Ziyang Street to see the ruins and rest on the lawn outside.
Afternoon: Head south to South Lake and take the ferry, which calls at the main sights around the lake. Visit the Pavilion of Mist and Rain on the mid-lake island, including the moored replica canal boat, then continue by ferry to Xiaoyingzhou Island and walk back across the bridge, taking in the calligraphy display on the shore.
Evening: Finish at Yuehe Street on the north side of the old city, where the tea rooms, small restaurants and cake sellers are at their best, and where the Museum of Zongzi Culture sits among the restored shop buildings.
Frequently asked questions
How do I reach the Pavilion of Mist and Rain?
It stands on the mid-lake island in South Lake and is accessible only by boat. A regular ferry takes visitors to and from the island and also calls at the other main sights around the lake.
Can I go inside St Mary's Church and Vincent Abbey?
No. The interior of St Mary's Church is not open to the public, though the lawn outside was opened in July 2021 and the ruins can be seen from outside. Vincent Abbey is no longer open for visits, but the cloisters can be viewed well from the street.
Can I board the replica boat on South Lake?
Normally you can visit it for an extra ¥20 on top of the ¥50 ferry ticket, but boarding is forbidden and extra security guards the boat during times of political or security sensitivity.
Is it worth going to Yuehe Street if I am also visiting Wuzhen or Xitang?
Yuehe Street is described as a good taste of what the canal towns are like if your itinerary does not allow you to go on to Xitang or Wuzhen. If you are already visiting either township, treat Yuehe Street as an evening stop for its tea rooms, restaurants and street food rather than a substitute for them.
Decide how much of your time belongs to the old city and how much to the water, then start mapping your days around South Lake and the restored streets.